Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Cheer up, Buttercup! 10 quick pick me ups

Today is a gray, gray day in the neighborhood and I woke up with the weight of the world on my shoulders. Nothing in particular has happened to weigh me down, but for whatever reason all of my worries and anxieties had piled up on me while I was sleeping. My first reaction was to pull the covers up over my head and go back to sleep, but how often is that an option for any of us?

So I started thinking and came up with a few of my tried and true best practices for getting my groove back.

10 quick pick me ups for a blah day

Making my bed. I learned this trick from Gretchen Rubin, the author of the Happiness Project. It sounds endlessly simplistic, but the simple act of putting something in order makes me feel productive and more on the ball, and therefore happier.

Wear something you really like. I have this shirt that I really hate, but never get rid of because there's nothing technically wrong with it. Trust me when I say that nothing good ever happens when I'm wearing that shirt. Conversely, when I feel good about the way I look, I start feeling good about me, which is a great step towards turning around your day.

Do something for someone else. There's a saying in Norway that goes" "Den største gleden man kan ha, det er å gjøre andre glad," or "the greatest happiness comes from making others happy" and I believe that with all my little heart. I am thinking that today I might write and mail a little note to a friend today.

Spend some quality time with someone you really like. Right after I woke up this morning, I heard Gwen waking up in her room, so I brought her into my bed for a few minutes. There is nothing in the world like a baby that squeals with delight at seeing your sleepy face. If you don't have a baby on hand, try a spouse, child, friend or beloved pet. I recommend a kitty, but recognize that is a personal preference. If nothing makes you happier than a hamster, go with that.

Eat a good meal. I'm of the opinion that if all you eat is cold cereal and fast food, you're kind of giving yourself the message that that is what you deserve, what you are worth. But if you put a little time, love and effort into your food, then you're putting a little time, love and effort into you. So for lunch today, I'm thinking I am worth some wholegrain toast with scrambled eggs and a glass of orange juice.

Indulge yourself a little. Lately I've been thinking that I just want a little time to myself with no one touching me (as a mom, someone is always touching me). So I am going to sneak in 10 minutes with my book, even if it means bribing Espen with the iPad while I do it.

Kind of on a similar note as the last one, but get yourself some fresh flowers. Whenever we have flowers in the house, I feel happier just having a little pop of color and something pretty to look at. There's just something about having a little bit of nature around that feels good.

Get some new ideas. Read a book, watch a TED talk, talk to someone about something they're passionate about, find a different news source, go to a museum, take a class, whatevs. Just find something to gain some new perspectives and get out of your comfort zone for a bit. I always find it refreshing to wrap my brain around something new.

Be thankful. The obvious choice when you're feeling low is to focus on what's wrong, but if there's not an obvious problem with a necessary solution, you're wasting your time and energy. Instead, make a mental list of all of the good things and people you have in your life. If you're honest and thoughtful it's going to be a pretty long list!

4 comments:

everything here is spot on. I think having a tidy space is the best medicine, when I'm feeling stressed out or down, I go through my whole room, throw anything away that I don't use, scrub everything clean, and put fresh sheets on my bed, might take me an hour, but I walk around smiling all day long! xo